Police cordon off Ulrich K.’s yard over a large area

Ulrich K. sits in the courtroom of the Thurgau Higher Court in Frauenfeld. With his hands folded over his stomach, he listens carefully to his defender. Meanwhile, there is turmoil around his former farm.

The police are on site with a large contingent. All access routes to the Hefenhofer hamlet of Brüschwil, where the farm is located, are cordoned off by the police.

“The cantonal police have been on duty in Hefenhofen since the morning to implement the Arbon district court’s decision to evict tenants,” says Matthias Graf, media spokesman for the Thurgau cantonal police. The defendant farmer was ordered by a court decision to leave his farm in Hefenhofen by September 16, 2024. Ulrich K. had refused this decision until the end.

The Arbon District Court’s decision also stated that the homeowners have the right to enforce the decision to evict tenants through police enforcement after the deadline has expired.

The operation takes around four hours

“We will inspect the site and the properties and then hand them over to the new owners,” Graf continued. The new owners are Karolina and Stefan Müssigang. The couple from Tyrol bought the farm at auction last December.

Graf does not want to reveal how many emergency services are on site for tactical reasons. Just this much: “We have prepared intensively for this mission. We didn’t know what to expect here. Based on our past experience, we have prepared for all eventualities.”

Shortly after 3 p.m., the police reported that the operation in Hefenhofen had ended.

Update follows…